This invention relates generally to dispensing systems and, in particular, to a dispensing system for freshening, deodorizing, sanitizing and disinfecting an area of interest such as, for example, urinals, commodes and the atmosphere in rest rooms.
It is known to provide dispensing systems for freshening, deodorizing, sanitizing and disinfecting the air and/or the water within, for example, rest rooms to overcome undesirable odors in the atmosphere and bacteria in urinals and commodes. Generally speaking, these dispensing systems are stand-alone, event-driven devices. For example, one type of atmospheric dispensing system includes a timer that controls the release into the atmosphere of an olfactory simulating material at periodic intervals. That is, either continually or during preset hours of operation, a timer triggers the release into the atmosphere of the olfactory simulating material at periodic intervals of, for example, about 15 minutes. One such atmospheric dispensing system including this type of a time-based event controller is described in commonly assigned, U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,074.
Another type of stand-alone, event-driven dispensing system for urinals and commodes releases a sanitary conditioning solution upon the activation of a flush valve. That is, as the flush valve of a urinal or commode is activated water passes through an inline sanitary conditioning system to the inlet of a bowl of the urinal or commode. The released water and the dispensing system cooperate to deliver water to the bowl that includes the sanitary conditioning solution. One example of this type of stand-alone, use-based event controlled sanitary device is described in commonly assigned, U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,567. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,772,074 and 6,009,567 are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
The inventors of the present invention have realized that a perceived disadvantage in the event-driven control devices of conventional dispensing systems lies in their inability to monitor and respond to the load or demand placed on each device and the demand on the rest room or other room environments as a whole. It follows, therefore, that the conventional dispensing systems can not adequately respond to the situation in which the more persons utilizing a facility, the greater the bacteria deposited therein and the greater the potential odors arising therefrom.
Accordingly, the inventors have realized that there is a need for an interactive, demand-based dispensing system that coordinates the response of stand-alone dispensing devices within an area of interest to the number of persons utilizing the area to, in effect, substantially overcome the undesirable odors in the atmosphere and bacteria in urinals and commodes.
Therefore, it is a first object and advantage of the present invention to provide an interactive, demand-based dispensing system for sanitize conditioning an area of interest.
It is a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a dispensing system that controls at least one stand-alone dispensing devices within an area of interest in response to the number of persons utilizing the area.
It is a still a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a dispensing system that controls at least one stand-alone dispensing devices within an area of interest in response to sensing other criterions, such as vapor, odor, smell or fragrance by utilizing an electronic nose, such as that described below.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
To overcome the perceived deficiencies in the prior art and to achieve the objects and advantages listed above, the present invention is, generally speaking, directed to a dispensing system for use in an area of interest, such as for example, and not limitation, a restroom. In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises at least one device for sanitize conditioning a medium. It should be understood that the term xe2x80x9csanitize conditioningxe2x80x9d should be construed in its broadest sense as a system or device that may freshen, deodorize, sanitizes, disinfect or otherwise condition the medium. Likewise, the term xe2x80x9cmediumxe2x80x9d should be understood to include air or water (as applicable). A sentry is also provided for detecting an object and for communicating with the at least one device. For this reason, the sentry comprises a detector for detecting the object and a controller, operatively coupled to the detector, for maintaining a count of the number of objects detected by the detector, wherein the controller transmits one or more variables, based on the count, to the at least one device to cause the at least one device to sanitize condition the medium in accordance with the one or more variables.
In preferred embodiments, if the medium is the air, the device may be mounted to or on a wall or the like. Similarly, if the medium is water, the device may be mounted on or in connection with a urinal or toilet. The area of interest may be a restroom and, if so, the sentry may be positioned proximate the entrance of the restroom. In this way, the detector may detect the presence of persons that enter and/or exit the restroom and may communicate the presence of such persons to the controller. In this manner, the controller may maintain a count of the number of people that enter and/or exit the area of interest, evaluate the count representing the number of people that have entered and/or exited the area of interest, and based on the count, communicate one or more variables to the device. Specifically, the one or more variables transmitted by the controller to the device may include the frequency and/or intensity of the sanitize conditioning of the medium by the device.
In a further preferred embodiment, the device may include a transmitter and the controller may include a receiver for receiving transmissions from the device. In this way, the device can communicate with the controller to indicate that the device requires, for example, a replenishment of a sanitize conditioning material. The sentry may even include a display for indicating a sanitary conditioning condition of the area of interest or the status of operability of the device.
It is within the scope of the invention to have a system in which there is a plurality of devices for sanitize conditioning both the air and the water in a restroom or other area of interest. The system may also include a plurality of sentries and a central unit for operable communication with each of the plurality of sentries, the central unit for at least one of monitoring and coordinating the response of each sentry of the plurality of sentries.
In a further embodiment, the sentry may be configured for detecting a vapor, odor, smell or fragrance and processing the detected vapor, odor, smell or fragrance. In this way, the controller may be configured to transmit one or more variables, based on the processed result of the detection, to the device to cause the device to sanitize condition the medium in accordance with the one or more variables. By way of example, the detector in this embodiment may be what is known in the art as an electronic nose.
In another embodiment, the controller may transmit information, based on the count, to the device to cause the device to sanitize condition the medium in accordance with one or more variables. In this way, the storage of the variables may take place in the device(s) and not the sentry itself.
Lastly, in accordance with the present invention, a method of sanitize conditioning at least one medium in an area of interest with a dispensing system comprising at least one device for sanitize conditioning the medium and a sentry for detecting an object and for communicating with the at least one device, is provided. This methodology preferably comprises the steps of detecting an object and maintaining a count of the number of objects detected and transmitting one or more variables, based on the count, to the device to cause the device to sanitize condition the medium in accordance with the one or more variables. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the method comprises the steps of detecting the presence of persons entering and/or exiting the area of interest and storing the number of such persons within a memory of the sentry, evaluating the count representing the number of people entering and/or exiting the area of interest, and based on the count, communicating the one or more variables to the at least one device. Here also, the one or more variables transmitted by the controller to the device may include the frequency and/or intensity of the sanitize conditioning of the medium by the device. Likewise, contemplated in the claimed methodology is the use of an electronic nose, use of a plurality of devices and/or sentries, and use of devices for sanitize conditioning both the air and water in an area of interest.